Luke Carey (BA)
Experienced Marketing and CRM Manager, with skills in design, photography, management and creative problem-solving.
• Proven lead generation and funnel optimisation
• CRM ownership and marketing automation
• Performance marketing (paid, email, landing)
• Website and conversion optimisation
• Design for print and digital
• Data, reporting and decision-making
Some of the tools I'm experienced with...
Lead Gen
Demand & Lead Generation
Generated 5,000+ qualified leads per year across organic, paid media, email, web and events for annual student intake
Improved lead quality through tighter targeting, CRM validation and funnel hygiene – and all through engaging content that is relevant to the audience
Optimises cost per lead through channel optimisation, scoring, landing page testing, retargeting, and much more...
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Conversion & Funnel Performance
Increased lead-to-conversion rates YoY, exceeding targets, through CRO, email journeys, form optimisation and many other tactics based on constant ideation and testing
Improved email engagement (open, click and conversion rates) through segmentation and testing
Identified and removed key drop-off points across multi-step funnels - testing throughout to ensure we maximise opportunities
Revenue & Commercial Impact
Influenced multimillion-£ annual recurring revenue through demand generation and funnel optimisation
Supported sales / admissions teams with better-qualified leads and clearer attribution
Built reporting that linked marketing activity to downstream outcomes, not just top-of-funnel metrics
Platforms & Systems Owned
CRM & Automation: HubSpot (contact models, innovative workflows, reporting, integrations)
Analytics & Insight: Google Analytics, Google Search Console, dashboarding
Performance Media: Google Ads, Meta Ads
Web & Conversion: CMS management, landing pages, forms, A/B testing
Integrations: Event platforms, form tools, data syncs and marketing systems
Testimonials
More HereI have worked closely with Luke in Operational Management Group made up a managers from across our organisation, and am delighted to report what a brilliant job Luke is doing in that space. I am so impressed by his strategic management and also the amiable and collegiate way he conducts his work. Great job Luke and thank you for everything you are doing - as a programme leader I really appreciate it!
It’s rare that you come across standout artist like Luke. I had the pleasure of working with Luke for a year and a half at the Signature Gifts Ltd, collaborating on several project teams. Luke has a great attitude to problem solving and I was always able to work very efficiently along side him and collaborate on a number of projects. Luke's ability to juggle multiple projects was unlike any I’ve seen before and made a dramatic difference in the productivity level of the whole team. Luke would be an asset to any team.
I feel incredibly privileged to have had Luke as my Line Manager. From supporting my career progression and personal development to helping me fine-tune my time management through an efficiently coordinated workflow, Luke left no stone unturned as a manager. As a part of the wider marketing mix, Luke took every opportunity to elevate the brand at every touchpoint, utilising his keen eye for graphic design to ensure every email template, web page, and social graphic reflected the core company values and messaging positively. I am certain that I will take the skills learnt from Luke's management with me throughout my career and will be a better marketer for it.
I worked with Luke within the marketing department when we were both at Signature Gifts (which then turned into Gifts Hub). Although we originally only worked together on design, as our remits grew and developed we worked more closely on wider projects including product, design, newsletter generation and even photography - as Luke was the photographer for all PR events. Luke was a pleasure to work with - always happy to help, knowledgeable, quick and efficient, I could always rely on him.
Key Projects
The projects below represent recent work where I held clear ownership and responsibility, spanning campaigns, platforms and conversion optimisation.
The best work is always embargoed!
Campaigns
Planned and delivered multi-channel campaigns across education and e-commerce, promoting UCAS deadlines, scholarships, Black Friday sales, in-person and virtual event promotions and lead magnets.
Owned campaign planning, messaging and channel mix, with a focus on timing, audience intent and funnel alignment to drive qualified demand and improve conversion.
Websites & E-Commerce
Owned website strategy, delivery and optimisation across multiple platforms, including icmp.ac.uk, icmp-elevate.co.uk, Drupal and WordPress, alongside e-commerce implementations on Shopify and WordPress.
Focused on performance, usability and conversion, working across content, UX, forms and integrations to support both marketing and commercial goals.
Conversion Tactics
Designed and implemented conversion tactics including basket and browser abandonment, lead scoring, automated follow-ups, lead magnets and event show-up optimisation.
These initiatives reduced friction across the funnel, improved engagement, and increased the likelihood of leads progressing without adding manual workload for teams.
Implementations
Led and supported implementations including ActiveCampaign, HubSpot Marketing Enterprise and Monday.com, alongside internal process design to standardise operations and reduce complexity.
Focused on scalable data structures, automation and reporting that improved visibility, consistency and team efficiency.
About Me
I approach marketing as a system, not a collection of channels. My focus is on understanding how demand is generated, captured, progressed and converted — and then improving the weakest points in that chain.
I prioritise work based on impact and effort, favouring changes that improve performance or clarity without adding unnecessary complexity. That often means fixing data, forms, journeys or internal processes before scaling spend or launching new campaigns.
I’m comfortable balancing brand, performance and operational reality. Not everything needs to be optimised immediately, and not every metric is worth chasing. I focus on the numbers that indicate genuine progress, while making sure teams can actually use the tools and processes we put in place.
I work best in environments where marketing is expected to own outcomes, not just outputs. That includes taking responsibility for decisions, testing ideas quickly, learning from what doesn’t work, and improving systems over time rather than rebuilding them unnecessarily.
At a practical level, I’m hands-on when needed and strategic when it matters — designing the approach, building or improving the platform, and then making sure it delivers consistently.
In terms of my journey, I left university with a First in Photography and Web Media, before going on to manage store plans at Tesco Head Office.
Eventually, I found my way into marketing with ecommerce, and most recently, I am a core part of the marketing and sales engine at ICMP – the UK's premier music education provider with a complex sales funnel and an ecommerce function – managing a small team and being hands-on across HubSpot, PPC, creative, copy, social and events – busy times!
In my spare time, I'm a street photographer!
The First 90 Days
In any new project or role, my focus in the first 90 days is always on understanding what already works, rapidly identifying friction and the quickest ways to overcome it – always with an eye on crafting a clear, long-term plan
Day 1-30:
Understand & Observe
I learning the business, the audience and the constraints. That means reviewing current performance, understanding the funnel end-to-end, auditing data and reporting, the creative across all channels, and speaking with stakeholders across marketing, sales and leadership to understand priorities and pain points.
Day 31–60:
Fix Friction & Create Clarity
I prioritise high-impact improvements — often around data quality, lead handling, journeys, forms, reporting or internal processes. The goal here is to reduce noise, improve visibility, and make existing activity more effective before adding anything new. I aim to test and implement creative fixes and tactics for lead gen across channels
Day 61–90:
Optimise & Build Momentum
Once the foundations are stable, I focus on optimisation and more structured testing. That might include improving conversion rates, refining campaigns, strengthening automation, or scaling what’s already proving effective, all while aligning closely with commercial teams.
My Aims:
Quick Initial Wins and Building a Realistic Plan - With Timings
Throughout, I’d aim to leave the function in a better state than I found it: clearer data, smoother processes, and marketing activity that’s easier to understand, manage and improve.